Knitting Needles
What knitting needles do you use? Are you a fan of one single brand and won’t touch another, or do you use a variety and brand isn’t really important?
I started out with KnitPicks Harmony Interchangeables. They were a GREAT set for a beginning knitter. They had the perfect amount of “grab” so that I didn’t constantly lose my stitches. As I improved and got faster, however, the amount of grabbiness actually started to hold me back.
A lot of good things were said about Addi Lace. I purchased several. They are great needles, very sturdy. I always felt like I was going to snap my Harmony needles in half. After a while though, the cable on the Addi circulars began to irritate me, it didn’t have enough give. Then there was the fact that I was constantly poking holes in the tips of my fingers. Between that and the callouses from having to constantly test my sugar (GD with both babies), my index finger will never be the same.
Somewhere around that time, I purchased a size 4 SQUARE knitting needle. It felt pretty good to work with, but that cable had too much give and was twisting all over the place! I couldn’t win! Rumor has it that they have re-worked their needles some. Very curious about that.
My LYS had started carrying Hiya Hiya Interchangeable Sets. Everyone was raving. I bought a set of the small sizes (2-8). These needles…the cables swiveled! What joy, what bliss! So I sold my Harmony Interchangeables and am putting some of that money directly towards more size 2 tips. What me? Sock knitting addict? Never.
What actually prompted this post was some comments on Ravelry about Signature Needle Arts and their new size 1 needles. Someone mentioned the price, so I had to go look for myself. Yup, circulars are $42 and straights are $34. I am FASCINATED by this. Truly. I don’t discount what must go into a product to warrant that price, I would just love to know what the experience is like. Unfortunately, I simply cannot justify buying even one pair of needles to find out and will have to live vicariously through some of you.
So have any of you, my dear readers, used these needles? Please tell me what you think, and how they compare to other needles, especially any of the ones I mentioned above.
I’m a fan of bamboo and wood needles-the only current project on anything else actually is on a pair of circular ChiaGo Reds, which, for metal needles, feel very nice.
I’ve tried the HiyaHiya needles and I hated them. They just felt unpleasant in my hands. I do like the Lantern Moon needles I have, and would definitely consider their interchangeables when I’m ready to buy-I haven’t tried out the ebony ones, but the rosewood ones are very nice . If I have both money and incredible patience, I’d look at the Dyka Craft Darn Pretty needles. The Signatures you mentioned caught my eye, but I’d really like to handle before purchasing, you know? I’d also like to look at the Knitter’s Pride-I’ve used some of their dpns, and they’re nice enough. but I really prefer the Lantern Moon needles.
Have you seen the needles from Glass Pens? One of my LYS stops carries them, and I got to knit a little sample on them-amazing, probably the nicest thing I’ve ever knit on. If I ever decide what size I want, I’m going to treat myself to a pair.
I know you’re a sock addict-I tend to do a lot of hats. I’m also enjoying handwarmers right now though, even though we never wear them, the girls like them in their dress up box. One of these days I’ll do a project for myself, too.
I haven’t tried (or even seen) the ChiaGoo needles, but have heard plenty of good things about them.
That’s interesting you don’t like the Hiya Hiyas. I like them better than any others I have tried yet. That’s the regular steel interchangeables though. I purchased a fixed Sharp circular needle yesterday to work on a sweater for the little guy and am hoping I don’t end up with more holes in my fingers! The interchangeables feel great to me. The Darn Pretty needles ARE darn pretty, but they look so much like the Harmony needles, which are so prone to splitting, snapping and peeling…
Haven’t tried Lantern Moon yet either.
You did show me the Glass Pen needles a while ago and they are beautiful as well! I think I’d be wary of keeping them anywhere near my little people though.
I got a few sets of Signature DPNs for Christmas last year and adore them. It sounds like pointy isn’t good for you, but one of the things I love about Signature is the super-pointy tip–the pointiest of any I’ve tried. Very useful for P3togtbl or making nups! However, they have less pointy tips if that’s your preference. And they’re just so PRETTY. However, I can’t speak of their cables, having only tried their DPNs.
My go-to needles are my Addi Lace Clicks. And Addis are what I prefer when I need a size not covered by my interchangeables.
Hi Jenn! What a wonderful Christmas gift! Besides pretty (which I’m not discounting as a feature, mind you), what makes them so amazing compared to other needles? And yes, I probably would avoid the Stiletto, I have no interest in piercing my fingertips.
I am trying to remember if I’ve ever had to do a P3togtbl…it seems like it’d be a very memorable thing. I may have once, will have to go through my project page on Rav and look at patterns.
I need to decide if I want to keep my Addi circs or sell them to buy new Hiya Hiya tips and cables. Decisions decisions.
Cool fact: My LYS has a dog named Addi, a shih tzu. She’s actually very ill right now and we’re all very worried about her.
There’s a very slight texture to the colored part of the needle, so stitches stay on better than on other needles. It’s not completely grippy like bamboo, or even the kind of plastic in the Denise needles, but just a bit grippier than the tip. The needles seem very sturdy, too. Admittedly I haven’t tried any smaller than a US 2 yet, but I have bent size 2 Addis before. I may need to loosen up a bit ;o)
Oh interesting! There is nothing worse than losing a bunch of stitches right off the needle. Wow, you might need a massage or something, you bent size 2s? Wow. I’ve never bent a needle but came very close to snapping a Harmony tip right in half, in my earlier days.
I almost never knit with anything smaller than a 2. That’s my go-to size for socks. The only yarn I’ve had to go down to a 1 with was Abi Grasso’s Rainbows and Clouds yarn.
I actually broke a Kollage size 0 DPN. Oops. And I’ve given up on wooden needles entirely because I break them way too often.
Oh wow. You are talented! (and need a massage)